Whacky research: Beauty and the Wimp

In the normal scheme of things, the alpha male may be used to getting all the girls. But during tough economic times, he must yield to the less-demanding, sensitive guys who call themselves 'natural followers' rather than leaders - at least in the short term.

This rather surprising study, conducted by Fay Julal, a psychologist at Southampton Solent University in England, goes against conventional psychology, which says women turn to successful, commanding men during difficult situations. In 2010, a time when a general economic pessimism prevailed around the world, Julal put 160 heterosexual women through a language test containing words such as 'bankruptcy' to introduce thoughts of recession in their minds.

They were then asked to look at various online dating profiles of men, and asked whom they would like to date and who was marriage material. Each profile contained information about the (fictitious) man's earning potential and level of dominance. Normally, stable guys are seen as more marriage-worthy and go-getters are seen as short term dating material. However, the results were of this study turned that on its head: women preferred the rich, flashy men when it came to a long-term relationship such as marriage.

But, in the short-term, the majority favoured men who were more likely to comply with their wishes. The researchers think that women do this because stable, less demanding men are less likely to cheat or go over to the competition.